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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Google has updated it's search app with voice search. Immediately, it is being compared to Siri. You can ask Google Search different questions and depending on the question, it will present you with the answer, search results, and even video. Along with the Siri comparison, Google Search currently cannot control other apps. That's not to say it won't happen in the future. This app works on the iPhone 4 which Siri currently does not support. It is also said to be faster than Siri.

So once again, the competition is heating up. This is usually good for users because we get great products out of friendly competition. If you don't have this app, it may be worth a try. Then let us all know how well it works.

Monday, October 29, 2012

As technology continues to grow, we move closer and closer to having capabilities that we previously only saw in movies. Okay, maybe it's not that futuristic but it is still interesting. Philips has introduced Hue, a web enabled lighting system. According to iClarified, Hue's "starter pack includes three bulbs that simply screw into your existing lamps, and a bridge that you plug into your home Wi-Fi router." All you have to do is download an app for your IOS device (iPhone or iPad) and you can control your lighting to include changing colors or creating scenes. It is even upgradeable which is always a good feature. The complete article is below.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Now you can preorder the iPad Mini in white or black. It seems like there may be more demand (or less stock) for this new Apple product. In under 20 minutes after opening for preorder, the white iPad Mini was already sold out of its initial stock. If you order a white iPad Mini now, expect to wait about 2 weeks before it will be shipped. The black iPad Mini is still available for delivery on November 2nd. Who knows how long that will last? It may change before I finish writing this post. Below are articles about the white iPad Minis initial stock being sold out and some preorders already being prepared for shipment.

At first, I didn't think I would be affected by the iPad Mini launch but I'm already starting to like the device. The screen is smaller, but the device is lighter. Plus, it has Siri. I think I will be okay with my iPad 2...without Siri. In the future, I'm not sure if I would choose the larger iPad or the iPad Mini whenever I decide to upgrade. What are your thoughts?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I enjoy Apple products overall but this is my favorite Mac...the Mac Mini! I'm not sure how many Mac Minis Apple has sold. I don't know if they are very popular. Still, I think they are great. This was the first Mac I ever purchased. I, like many people, thought Macs were too expensive. After looking through Apple's website, I came across the Mac Mini. It said something like "BYODKM (Bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse." At the time, I was building my computers and I thought, "I do already have those things." This made the Mac Mini my Mac of choice. It had a low entry price (compared to other Macs) and decent specs considering the size of this computer. I was able to get a refurbished model from the Apple store and saved about $100...which I later used to upgrade the memory.

Well, that's what I have to say about the Mac Mini (for now). The article below talks about what other people are saying about the new Mac Mini models and includes the latest benchmark information. Also, there is a link to great free software to add to a Mac Mini or any Mac. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Now that the iPad Mini has been unveiled, what are your thoughts? It seems like people would be concerned about resolution and pricing. The resolution is the same as the iPad 2 instead of the 3rd or 4th generation iPad. Then you have the pricing that is about $100 more than the competition. In Apple's defense, you have the quality hardware and software mesh and the ability to connect into the Apple ecosystem. Plus, it's very light. With the holiday season around the corner, we will see how well the iPad Mini sells. Below is an article that goes into more detail about the pricing for the iPad Mini. Also, there is an article about people selling their iPads as they get ready for replacements.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The announcements have been made and it looks like the rumors were pretty much on target. For Apple product lovers, there are some new toys to enjoy. This includes the Fourth Generation iPad, the super-thin iMac, the 13 inch Macbook Pro with Retina, the updated Mac Mini, and of course, the iPad Mini! As usual, I am interested in the Mac Mini...the tiny workhorse. But it was the iMac that shocked me; I was surprised to see the thin iMac. I'm not trying to start the next rumor, but after seeing the new iMac, I can't help but wonder what Apple could do with the iTV...if they were to make it.

MacRumors did a round up of the announcements for the day. Take a look at the articles below. There are a couple of videos at the bottom as well. Enjoy! And let me know what you think about Apple's updated and new products.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Apple's Media Event is Tuesday, October 23, 2012. This media event is supposed to reveal updated iMacs, 13 inch Macbook Pros with Retina, and Mac Minis (my favorite!). But of course, the main attraction is the iPad Mini. Apple has had huge success with the full size iPad but never entered into the smaller tablet market. Apple's competition seized the opportunity and began offering smaller tablets. Now, Apple is about to enter the market with the iPad Mini. How do you think the iPad Mini will be received?

Below is an article that discusses the venue for the Apple Media Event...the California Theatre.

Well, it seems like this would be the next logical step as Apple and Samsung continue their tumultuous (thanks auto-correct) relationship. This is a relationship that has gone from Samsung being a major supplier for Apple to court cases and jab throwing commercials. Rumor has it Samsung has been shipping less and less LCD panels to Apple and may not supply LCD panels to Apple after 2013. For all the details, the complete article is below. Do you think this is the best solution for Apple and Samsung?

Saturday, October 20, 2012

There are a lot of rumors for the Apple Media event expected for next Tuesday. MacRumors has done a rumor roundup so I have it for you below. New information has surfaced since then in regards to pricing of the new products. Those links are also below. You can look through all the latest information below and let me know what you think about the rumors and the expected prices as well.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Apple sent out invitations for its next media event planned for Oct. 23rd. We've already heard rumors about what will be unveiled. The iPad Mini is probably the most anticipated but there are rumors that Apple will also release updated iMacs, 13" Macbook Pros with Retina, and Mac Minis. Will we see all, some, or none? I think the iPad Mini will be the highlight and will definitely be unveiled. The other products are hopefuls...users hope to see updates on these. We will see what Apple has to say on Oct. 23rd.

There are also rumors of the iPad Mini launching on Nov. 2nd and there are pictures of iPad Mini displays. More details are below.

The iPod Nano has been updated and iFixit has completed a teardown so we can see how Apple has created this product. Not only can you see the components, but you can also learn which product manufacturers Apple has been working with. Read below for more details.

Beyond a doubt, I had to tell you about this rumor! I am a huge fan of the Mac Mini and it was the first Mac I bought. I purchased my Mac Mini in 2007 I think and I still use it every day. It currently functions as my media server and media center. I think it is a great device for anyone wanting to move to a Mac while saving money. You provide the monitor, keyboard, and mouse...but you probably already have them anyway. The Mac Mini takes up so little space. It's awesome!

Anyway, the latest rumor is that Apple will introduce an updated Mac Mini along with the iPad Mini. Just based on their names, it makes some sense. I don't see Apple making any extreme updates but it may be tempting enough for me to move up from my 2007 model. It will be a sad and happy day if I retire my Mac Mini and get a new Mac Mini. More details on the launch are below. Is anyone else as excited as I am?

Apple has started a program to replace some Seagate hard drives that may fail in 2009-2011 iMacs. It's unfortunate that hard drives are failing but Apple is working proactively to help users. This ensures owners can enjoy the best possible experience with their devices. Hopefully, this will catch a lot of hard drive issues before something really happens. Does anybody own the models below? If so, will you take advantage of this opportunity? Why or why not?

Per Apple's support website...

"Apple has determined that certain Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and July 2011."

Friday, October 12, 2012

The latest rumor is that Apple is planning its iPad Mini media event for Oct 23rd. I haven't really heard a lot about the demand for this device so I'm not sure how successful the launch will be. I think Apple has done their research so I believe it has enough demand. I just don't know if it will sell like the iPad. What are your thoughts?

I kind of like the idea of having an iPad on the refrigerator (like the picture below) but it may work better with the iPad Mini. What do you think?

A survey of consumers was conducted and it seems the demand for the iPhone 5 is almost double what it was for the iPhone 4S. That is understandable since the iPhone 4S was more of a modest update while the iPhone 5 involved a complete redesign. More details are included in the article. I'm circling around getting an iPhone 5. It's not an issue of the hardware...it's trying to find the best carrier plan. If anyone has any good ideas, please let me know! I will continue to research and will share whatever I find out.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Apple has introduced a new television advertisement for the new iPods including the Shuffle, Nano, and Touch. This is just my opinion but I think the ad appears fun and energetic. Take a look at it and let me know what you think. Would you buy one of the new iPods? I think I could see some for Christmas presents.

Monday, October 8, 2012

According to component suppliers, Apple may be gearing up to ship 10 million iPad Minis in the 4th Quarter! The iPad Mini still hasn't been officially announced yet but the rumor mill talks of an announcement this month. Do you think Apple could sell 10 million iPad Minis or do you think the demand will be low and competition will be fierce?

Saturday, October 6, 2012

If you are new to Mac or about to purchase your first Mac, this is a great tutorial to show you how to setup your Mac. It's a pretty simple process but if you're completely new to the Apple ecosystem, this could be helpful. If you've already made the transition, I'm proud of you. If you are about to make the transition, I know you will enjoy it. And my blog is always here to assist.

Previous MobileMe users have something to be happy about. Unfortunately, if you like MobileMe, it's not that it will be coming back. When the service was cancelled, you should have received 20 GB of iCloud storage. This is now being extended for an extra year. Sounds good to me even though I don't think I am a lucky recipient. What do you think?

Apple has been receiving bad feedback about their new Maps app that rolled out with iOS 6. It is often compared to Google Maps because that was the Map app of choice originally on the previous iPhones. Tim Cook issued an apology and said Apple is working hard to correct the Map app. This article says users can see some of the effort already as the Maps app is already improving. I wouldn't say dramatically, but improving nonetheless.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I have a Macbook and a Mac Mini. You may know this already. Recently I decided to upgrade them both with Solid State Drives (SSD). Both had 80 GB drives and I was looking to increase storage and performance. I looked around the internet and was able to find 2- 120 GB SSDs at a reasonable price. Due to the price of SSDs, I couldn't find larger SSDs for a price I was willing to pay. After the fact, I found the special sale above and the company also had great prices on Apple computers and accessories. You may want to check it out and get the deal I missed.
Here is a video of a hard drive replacement…pretty easy. The fast forward noise is a little cheesy but good information nonetheless. During the video, you can also see where the memory is located…2 modules stacked on top of each other...if you decide to upgrade it later.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

For those interested in how Apple is doing as a company, Apple will be announcing it's 4 Quarter earnings on Oct 25. We will be able to see how sales have been doing. Depending on the results, Apple's stock price will either go up, down, or stay the same. What are your thoughts on this?